Dress-protector



(No mm.)

M- M GRAHAM. Dress Protector.

Patented Dec. 28; I880.

8 8 a? M IQJ f d N-PETERS, PHOYOLITHOGRAFHEH, WASNINGIYDNv D. O

or childs dress or skirt.

lJNrr n drains MARY M. GRAHAM, OF

LYNN, MASSA OHUSETTS. Q

DRESS-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 236,019, dated December 28, 1880. Application filed September 23, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY M. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massach usetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dress-Protectors; and I do hereby declare the followingito be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates -10 skirt-protectors, which consist of an inner lining and an outer garment, which are secured together so as to incase the dress of a skirt and protect it from injury and soiling either external or internal.

The said invention consists, partly, in connecting said parts of the protector to each other detachably by buttoning or equivalent means, so that either part can be conveniently used without the other.

It also consists in the peculiar construction and mode of attachment of the said parts, as hereinafter set forth.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, a front view of the inside part detached; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, a similar section of the outer part; Fig. 4, a sectional detail of the lower portion of the dress-protector Fig. 5, a sectional detail of the lower portion of the outer part of said dress-protector.

In the drawings, A represents a skirt which is to be worn under all the skirts and the dress of the wearer, this skirt being buttoned in front, as shown at a, and at the top about the wearers waist, or secured thereto in any of the modes now practiced for upholding a womans This skirt A is designed to protect the inside of the wearers other skirts against water or mud taken up and thrown off by the wearers feet, and while it may be composed entirely of a water proof or repellant material, I prefer to make the (from the waist downward) of any ordinary stuff suitaand its lower part or maror out, of a light water greater part of it of a woven fabric bio for the purpose, gin, I), either inside proof or repellant material, such as the ordinary gossamer rubber-cloth.

My object in preferring to make the skirtA in greater part of some ordinary woven fabric is to avoid the cold and damp sensation eX- perienced about the wearers person from the employmentof rubber-cloth, while as the lower I portion of the said skirt is of a repellant material, the requisite protection is offered to the I wearers other skirts and dress from the inside; hence this skirt may be worn all day without inconvenience, and is or may be made shorter than the others, and therefore not visible.

A woman or girl desiring to go into the street inwet weather, as a preparatory step puts on the skirt A under the dress and other skirts to be protected, and it may be worn all day without inconvenience or attracting the attention of others, and serves to perfectly protect the skirts from the inside.

About the lower margin of the skirt A, upon the outside and at a short distance above its edge, I attach a row of buttons, 0 c, &c., or a series of hooks or other means of securing the hem of the outer garment what above the surface of the sidewalk or road taken by the wearer, in order that moisture or mud from such walk or road may not find its way between the two, as would often be the case if they were secured together at the extreme lower parts of the garment.

The outer part, B, of'the garment is composed of'any suitable water-proof material, and substantially in the form of an ordinary cloak. Its lower portion, 01, is, however, extended beyond the lower edge of the dress and turned up within the same. When the dress-protector is off the wearer the edge e of this turned-up portion may be buttoned or otherwise fastened to the inside of said outer part, B. When said edge is thus fastened the outer part, B, may be used without the inner part, A.

In the upper edge, e, of the hem or facing d, I make a series of button-holes, f f, to engage the buttons 0 of the skirt A, before named, and confine the lower portions of the two garments A and B together. This relative location of the buttons and button-holes may be reversed, or books and eyes or other means employed to confine the edges of the to it at a point sometwo garments together; or, in lieu of making the button-holes directly in the hem or facing d, I prefer to secure to the inner edge of the latter a fly, and form the button-holes in such fly, the more effectually to exclude moisture from access to the wearers clothing.

The inner face of the hem or facing (I. is of rubber-cloth or other repellant material, in order that water spattered upon it from the inside from the wearers feet or from the sidewalk may run off, and not be taken up by the stockings and dress of the wearer.

Heretofore, so far as my knowledge extends, the inside lower edges or facings of waterproof garments have been of a fibrous material, usually the inside or backing of the repellant material, the result of which is that the water spatterethas above stated, is absorbed by the capillary attraction of the facing, and held by the latter, the lining thus remaining in wet condition and soiling and wetting the wearers dress and stockings-more especially the first.

The repellant facing of my garment allows the water to flow off at once, and not creep by attraction upward to a point where it has access to the wearers dress and stockings.

As before stated, a woman or girl preparatory to going out on wet days puts on the inner skirt, A. On going out she puts on the outer garment, B, and after tucking the bottoms of her other skirtsand her dress between the lower ends of the underskirt A and the garment B, buttons the hem or facing of the said garment B to the bottom of the skirt A, thus inclosing the entire skirts and dress in a close waterproof case, and affording perfect protection to the same against mud or moisture from the outside or inside.

I prefer that the lower edge of the skirt A should extend to the bottom of the outer garment, B, as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings, in order to envelop or cover the point of union between the said portions A and 13, though this is not absolutely essential.

One great result of my compound garment, or the two garments containing provision for being secured together at the bottom at the pleasure of the wearer, and thereby constituting virtually one double garment, is that the owner has an ordinary water-proof cloak, to be worn alone in the usual manner, to protect the dress from the outside, if desired. Another improvement seen in my garment is that the inner skirt, A, in itself affords protection to the skirts from the inside, and may be worn an entire day without discomfort or being do tectcd and, thirdly, the two portions A and B may be secured together to inclose the wearers skirt and dress very easily and expeditiously.

1f the two portionsA and B were secured permanen tly together at bottom, as has heretofore been the case in analogous garments, the outer portion cannot be used il'ldependently of the inner, and as the outer garment must be put on before the inner one is secured about the wearers waist, thelatter act is accomplished with di i'licul ty I claim- 1. A dress-protector consisting of an inner skirt, A, provided with buttons 0 on itsouter face, near the bottom, in combination with an outer covering, B, the lower part, d, of which is adapted to be turned up behind the dress and attached to buttons 0, as set forth.

2. The combination of inner skirt, A, havin g rubber border b, folded to inclose its lower edge, in combination with outer covering, B, the lower edge of which is folded under and behind the dress and buttoned to said rubber border, as stated.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

F. G. SnrrsoN, CHARLES J. Bnornnns. 

